Recovery Time in the Gym | How much is ideal?

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Success in the gym is not only measured by the intensity of your workouts, but also by the quality of your rest. Both recovery time between sets and between training days are crucial for muscle recovery and optimal performance.

Between Series: How Much Recovery Time?

According to a study in the “Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research“, the optimal rest time between sets depends on the training objective and the type of strength we are working on:

Maximum Strength: Exercises with the goal of developing the greatest possible force in a single repetition (RM = Maximum Repetition) usually recover from 4 to 7 minutes between sets or even more depending on the level of the practitioner. These loads range from 100% to 85% of the total weight and 1 to 5 repetitions.

As a bonus: This force is worked to develop in priority the cognitive capacity with the muscle. We must remember that the muscle works thanks to motor neurons and the greater the capacity to send nerve impulses, the greater the strength.

Hypertrophy: Exercises with the aim of developing muscle size are usually recovered between 2 to 4 minutes between sets. These loads range from 85% to 60% of the total weight and from 6 to 12 repetitions. This type of exercise is used for aesthetic objectives, for greater protection of extremities or to seek strength with more balanced contrasts than the maximum.

Resistance Strength: Exercises with the objective of developing the greatest possible strength (either explosive or maximal) for as long as possible. It is usually recovered from 1 to 2 minutes between sets. These loads range from 60% to 40% of the RM with a high number of repetitions. This type of training is usually used at the beginning for beginners, to improve endurance in a specific sport or to improve the oxidative capacity of the muscle.

Between Days: How Much Recovery Time?

Rest between training days is vital to allow muscle recovery and prevent overtraining. The National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) advises a 48-72 hour rest between intense sessions for specific muscle groups.

Maximal Strength: For maximal strength training, a rest period of at least 48 hours between sessions is recommended. A University of Texas study suggests that longer rest periods may be beneficial for maximizing strength gains.

Hypertrophy: Muscle hypertrophy requires a careful approach to rest. A study published in the International Journal of Sports Medicine found that 48 hours of rest is optimal for maximizing muscle growth.

Endurance Strength: In resistance training, rest periods may be slightly shorter. According to a study by the American College of Sports Medicine, 24 to 48 hours of rest is sufficient for muscle recovery in this type of training.

Supercompensation Curve: What is it and why is it so important to know it?

The supercompensation curve is a concept that describes how the body adapts to the stress of exercise. After an intensive training phase, the body enters a recovery phase where its performance capacity improves. Understanding this curve is crucial to optimally program training and rest.

I will try to explain this graph in the most summarized way possible. If you look closely if the curve goes down is because our performance is decreasing and if it goes up is increasing performance (blue curve).

This performance is affected by a stimulus that in our case will be any exercise (gym training) or any other stimulus that fatigues the muscles. After 2-3 hours of training our performance will decrease due to the fatigue that this generated.

It is essential to let the recovery have enough time to reach a base state as in the beginning (in the graph is represented in 24h in the timeline). Of course, it should be noted that this varies according to the level of each person, since a more trained person can recover faster.

Benefits of the Positive Supercompensation Curve

Once our supercompensation reaches the top (48 hours on the timeline) the ideal is to trigger a stimulus again in order to grow the performance curve from that point.

As you can see, if we maintain an adequate recovery time and apply a new exercise (or training day) after a correct time the supercompensation curve will increase more and more.

Risks of Short Recovery Time Between Days: Negative Supercompensation

Poor rest management can lead to a state of overtraining. A study from the University of Jyväskylä showed that athletes who did not respect adequate rest periods experienced decreased performance and symptoms of prolonged fatigue.

Sleep deprivation can have a significant impact on muscle growth. A study in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism showed that lack of sleep can decrease muscle protein synthesis, essential for muscle growth and repair.

The Supercompensation curve can give you a clear idea of why performance will decline if you allow little recovery time between training days:

For this reason, exercises performed one day after the other have no results, for example, the challenges of “doing 100 push-ups a day” or training the biceps from Monday to Friday will only hinder your results.

Tips to Improve Muscle Recovery

Mainly you have to be patient since a good muscle growth needs an ideal recovery both between sets and between days. Other things to also improve to increase your muscularity during recovery is:

Quality Sleep: Aim for 7-9 hours of sleep per night.
Adequate Nutrition: Eat a balanced diet rich in protein and carbohydrates.
Adequate Hydration: Maintain constant hydration, as water is essential to the body’s recovery processes.
Active Recovery Techniques: Incorporate low-intensity activities, such as walking or yoga, into your rest days.
Massage and Stretch Therapy: Consider regular massages and stretching sessions to improve circulation and facilitate muscle recovery.
Avoid Excessive Stress: Chronic stress can negatively affect recovery. Practices such as meditation can be helpful.
Organize Your Routine: You can hire a personal trainer who can schedule your routine and can organize your training/rest days well.

Rest and recovery are as important as the training itself in achieving success in the gym. Understanding how long to rest between sets and days, and how the supercompensation curve influences your training, will allow you to maximize your results.

In addition, getting adequate sleep and following effective muscle recovery practices are essential to maintaining a healthy body and achieving your fitness goals. Remember, the key to training success is not only how hard you work, but also how much you rest. If you need help you can hire the online consulting service.